Sene 22 — June 29

Saints Cosmas and Damianus, the Helping Brothers

Today we celebrate two loving brothers named Cosmas (say it KOZ-mas) and Damianus (da-mee-AH-nus). We also remember their other brothers and their dear mother, who all loved God together as one happy family.

Cosmas and Damianus were doctors, the kind of people who help sick folks get well. But they were doctors of a rare sort, because when they healed people they never asked for a single coin. They helped everyone for free, just out of love. When the sick came to them, the brothers would pray, and God would make those people better. People loved them dearly.

On this day, long ago, a beautiful church was built and set apart as a holy house for God in honor of these saints. The people remembered all that God had done through these kind brothers, and they thanked Him with joy.

We can learn something lovely from Cosmas and Damianus. They used the gifts God gave them to help other people, and they did not do it to get rich. They did it because they loved God and loved their neighbors.

They healed the sick for free, asking for no money, because they did it out of love for God.

Paul the Simple, the Joyful Helper of Abba Anthony

Today we also remember a kind man called Paul the Simple. He earned that name for his gentle, trusting heart, like a happy child who believes the best about everyone.

Paul was a farmer who worked hard in his fields. His life at home was sad, and one day he decided to give the rest of his life to God instead. So he went to a wise and holy old monk named Abba Anthony. A monk lives a quiet life of prayer, and "Abba" means "father." Paul put on the monk's clothes and copied everything Abba Anthony did. He prayed, and he fasted, which means he sometimes went without food so he could pray more. Paul tried his very best to be good and faithful.

Because Paul trusted God so simply and so fully, God gave him a gift: when Paul prayed, sick people got well. One day a man came who was troubled by an evil spirit. Abba Anthony asked Paul to help. Paul prayed and told the spirit to leave in the name of Jesus. The spirit did not want to go, but Paul was not afraid. He said he would keep praying to Christ until the man was free, because God is always stronger than anything evil. And just like that, the man was healed and made happy and whole again. Everyone gave thanks to God.

Paul the Simple lived a long, good life. He felt sorry for people who did wrong, and he prayed for them with a loving heart. When he was very old, he died in peace and went home to God.

I will keep praying to Christ until you are gone, because God is stronger than you.— what Paul said to the evil spirit